Juventus: 5 key players to watch against Fiorentina

Juventus will face Fiorentina against Fiorentina on Tuesday night. Here are five key players to watch.

Fresh off their best performance of the 2020-2021 Serie A campaign over the weekend at Parma, Juventus will face Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday night. Fiorentina are struggling in 16th place, while Juve also need the three points in order to keep up with AC Milan and Inter Milan in a tight title race.

Let’s take a look at five key players on the Bianconeri to watch on Serie A’s Matchday 14.

FW Cristiano Ronaldo

After a surprisingly poor performance last week in a 1-1 draw with Atalanta, Cristiano Ronaldo was magnificent again this weekend at Parma. Ronaldo registered his fifth brace of the 2020-2021 Serie A season, scoring with a hovering header and a brilliant left-footed tight finish into the far corner.

On Tuesday, Ronaldo will go up against one of the best young center backs in Serie A in Nikola Milenkovic, who is on the Bianconeri’s radar as a possible transfer. Ronaldo won’t have it easy, but he will be expected to add to his tally in the Capocannoniere race.

RB Danilo

If Juventus roll with a back four, expect to see Danilo starting on the right-hand side with Matthijs de Ligt and Leonardo Bonucci holding down the fort on the inside. Danilo can help Juventus take care of Franck Ribery, who has two assists this season and is still probably Fiorentina’s best attacking player.

CM Weston McKennie

Weston McKennie has been excellent for Juventus in recent weeks, and he should be fresh after getting rest at Parma. The American looks like a future star in the Juve midfield, and he’s become a real asset to the attack when he makes surging runs into the box. McKennie scored against Torino and Barcelona, and you wouldn’t put it past him to score vs. Fiorentina.

The midfield battle will be crucial for Juve. Though the midfielders have improved under Andrea Pirlo, there is still more work to be done in terms of creating chances. McKennie has easily been Juve’s most threatening midfielder alongside Aaron Ramsey. Plus, his defensive work will be necessary against Gaetano Castrovilli.

FW Alvaro Morata

Paulo Dybala may not be available this Tuesday vs. Fiorentina, so the front two may still be Alvaro Morata and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have shown great chemistry together. They should have found the back of the net against Atalanta, but they made up for it with scintillating displays at Parma. Ronaldo scored twice, but Morata may have been the real MVP with a goal and two assists.

Morata has five assists this season, and his hold-up play and link-up play have been vital to the Juventus attack. He can be thanked for Juve’s marked improvement under Pirlo, and Juventini should expect another exceptional performance from the Atletico Madrid loanee.

CM Rodrigo Bentancur

Another center midfielder to watch on Tuesday night. Rodrigo Bentancur is quietly rounding into top form for the Bianconeri, which is going to be important for this team as the title race heats up. Bentancur has 15 tackles and seven interceptions in his last three Serie A matches, per WhoScored.com, and his defensive work is his biggest asset.

Attacking-wise, Bentancur is improving, too. He is gradually looking more comfortable in Pirlo’s system and even provided three key passes and three dribbles completed over the weekend at Parma.